Youth for Action, a new gathering of NDC youth activists has endorsed the candidature of the former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings (Dr.) and appealed to delegates for the Sunyani congress to vote massively for her in order to salvage the party from looming defeat in the 2012 general elections.
“The YFA therefore holds the firm belief that the presidential candidature of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings on the ticket of the NDC would be the first step to protecting the survival of the party, giving more voice to the NDC youth and restoring hope to Ghanaians,” the statement said.
The statement, signed by Dr. David Sunu and Mr. Afari Jones Jnr, National Coordinator and the Deputy National Coordinator respectively announced the presence of a gathering of NDC youth activists, under the umbrella of a youth group called YOUTH for ACTION (YfA).
Youth for Action (YfA) recognizes the role young people play in building a nation, especially in the struggle by political parties for power and believes that the voice and enthusiasm of the youth during campaigns, must not come to an end once a party wins power and forms a government.
The YfA was formed to work closely with young political activists who strongly share in the ideals of the National Democratic Congress. The group seeks to engage NDC youth activists in more meaningful ways, tap into their energies and make them feel cared for. YfA will lead these youth activists to undertake activities that will help maintain a permanent campaign operation that constantly reconnects the party to voters in order to keep the NDC in government.
The YfA is run by a National Executive Coordinating Team, led by the National Coordinator. It has ten Regional Coordinators with hundreds of NDC members signed up to be members. The group’s membership drive is in full force with many party youth waiting to be registered.
Having contributed tremendously to NDC’s victory in 2008, the youth expected from the party in government programmes and policies that would inure to the benefit of the youth, who worked tirelessly as volunteers and grassroots organisers.
This expectation is hinged on the fact that the NDC believes in grassroots participation.
Where is the strategic plan for the youth? Where is the youth leadership? Youth leadership has been very silent and docile. Looking on unconcerned as the NDC youth drift into the regrettable state of despondency and despair.
After 2008, the NDC youth were confident of the return of the values of probity, accountability and justice, to rebuild our society. But where are the corrupt NPP government officials that we spoke of in 2008, the killers of Ya Na, Issah Mobilla, just to mention a few. The question is if an NDC government fails to live up to its core principles and values, then what would be the basis for a 2012 campaign?
With a leader of the party who has failed to steer the affairs of state closely in line with the core values and aspirations of the NDC and thereby bringing disappointment to the NDC youth in the process, we believe leaving in place a leader who has presided over the neglect of the party youth structures would be a suicide mission for the party!
We must halt the decline and restore hope to the NDC youth and the country.
The YfA therefore holds the firm belief that the presidential candidature of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings (Dr.) on the ticket of the NDC would be the first step to protecting the survival of the NDC, giving more voice to the NDC youth and restoring hope to Ghanaians.
A vote for Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings would be a vote for a bold, consistent and philosophically progressive leadership for the NDC, and Ghana! THE SUN

DCE OKAYS AKUFO ADDO
…SAYS ECONOMIC HARDSHIP UNDER PREZ MILLSUNBEARABLE



In the wake of the recent incessant bearer of the opposition NPP Nana Akufo Addo Dankwa blaming the Professor Atta Mills’led administration of economic hardships, a DCE serving under this very government has confirmed that there is indeed a wind of financial difficulties blowing across the breadth and the length of the country.
He stressed unequivocally that everybody has been complaining of economic hardships since the mantle of governance was handed to the NDC, under Professor Atta Mills.
“The crying of the masses including those of us who are the appointees of the government is always about economic problems, which we have been encountering with. We are really finding things very hard to manage”, he revealed.
The DCE for Ahafo Ano South in Ashanti, Mr. Thomas Kwakwa, collaborating the wailing of sections of Ghanaians as regards the economic hardships, categorically stated that things are not as rosy as they used to be in the days of the NPP.
“Things are not as rosy as people perceive. Money is very hard to come by these days under this government”, he told journalists on phone.
As if this confirmation by the DCE was not enough to disgrace the very government he is serving, he went ahead to describe journalists as foolish persons.
“ You need to stop that your foolishness. Don’t you know that it is difficult to get money under this government? Some of you always come here in your numbers,’’ he yelled at the journalists.
Mr. Kwakwa’s unguarded outburst at the journalists was occasioned on the 16th of this month at Mankranso, the district capital when the Ashanti regional correspondent of The Heritage News paper Henry Ameyaw booked an appointment with him on the level of developmental projects the DCE has initiated since he came into office.
Although Kwakwa agreed that the journalist should come into his office around 12 noon on that very day, but on arrival they were told by his secretary he had not been in the office the whole day. -Samuel TK Mensah, Mankranso,(THE SUN)


‘Democracy key to Africa’s progress’

Said Sinare, first deputy national chairman of Ghana’s ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) party tells MLKMEDIA’s Editor-in-chief that Africa’s hope for sustainable development lies in a stable democratic culture. He also predicts that President John Evans Atta Mills, just as he did in the 2008 Ghanaian elections, will still defeat the New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s candidate Nana Addo Akufo-Addo in next year’s polls. Excerpts:
MLKMEDIA: May we meet you, sir?
Said Sinare: Basically, I schooled in Ghana, at Tamale Secondary School. Then I went to the US. I have a bachelor’s degree in administration. But now, I am a full-time politician, and currently the first deputy national chairman of the ruling party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
MLKMEDIA:What was growing up like?
Said Sinare: Well, it wasn’t easy. It was very difficult, especially after the 1966 coup. My dad was into politics, and when they overthrew (Dr.) Kwame Nkrumah, he was put in prison, behind bars. My mum was alone and we were all kids. And she being a foreigner, an Egyptian, we went on exile to Egypt through the late President (Gamel) Nasser. He (Nasser) actually sponsored our education, feeding, clothing and everything. So we were there in Egypt for some time until my father’s release from prison before he decided that we should come down to pursue our education here. So we missed by four, five years. When I came back, I was behind my colleagues by about four, five years; my colleagues were in form six, while I had to re-start from form one. So it wasn’t easy for me to catch up. My parents had to put in a lot to ensure that we caught up.
MLKMEDIA: The NDC Chairman Dr. Kwabena Adjei had warned that if the country’s Chief Justice would not clean up the judiciary, that the party will do so, and no one should accuse it of interfering with the judiciary. What does he mean by that?
Said Sinare: I guess he didn’t mean what he was saying. I think this question was thrown to the president when he arrived from the US and the president made it very, very clear to the whole nation that he had no intention of kicking or interfering in the judiciary. And, I respect him for that; and it should be so. As a democracy, we must grow. And I think the president made the right decision.
MLKMEDIA: Does that not indicate some disconnect between the presidency and the party?
Said Sinare: No, no, no, not at all. The president is the leader of the party. When he talks, he talks for the party. It’s just unfortunate that our chairman made those remarks. And, I don’t think he really meant what he said. There are all corruptions all over. I mean, corruption is everywhere.
MLKMEDIA: And, you think the judiciary in Ghana has done well?
Said Sinare: They have a lot do.
MLKMEDIA: Sustaining democratic governance over a long period of time is something that is not common across Africa. But, with five democratic elections and two inter-party transitions, Ghana seems to have so far achieved a measure of stable democracy. How did you manage it?
Said Sinare: I would say that credit must go to where it is due. And for that matter, every single Ghanaian should give credit to Jerry John Rawlings for what he has achieved for this country. I mean from the PNDC era, which gave him power, went into the multi-party system democracy, he was there for two terms, he handed over power peacefully to an opposition party, which had never happened in the history of this country . And imagine the margin even was about 2 or 3 per cent by which the NPP beat us, the NDC in 2000; (former President) Kufour took over and did his best, and also went in for his eight years rule, before his party lost by almost 40,000 votes. So, democracy has grown in this country; and if every country in Africa would learn from the experience of Ghana, then Africa will be the best for it. We must be seen to be matured among ourselves. When we mature among ourselves, I think the culture (of democracy) will grow. I see Nigeria taking after the footsteps of Ghana. Gone are those days when we have these coups d’ etats; it’s all in the past. We must have democracy, if you want to come in, if you want to be elected, at the end of the day it’s your people that must elect you and put you in whatever position that you want to be elected into, but not by the gun. Gone are those days. And, I see Africa coming up. Africa is picking up. Although we have our problems and all that, at the end of the day I am certain that democracy will prevail in Africa.
MLKMEDIA: Even in the matured democracies, it is not an easy feat for an opposition party to win power from a ruling party. How was the NDC able to achieve such in 2008?
Said Sinare: I will tell you this: The NDC achieved that through hard work. Every single member of the party was committed. The grassroots was so committed, it was so amazing; the market women, you name them. Everybody was committed. Look, even on the d-day, the polling stations were even manned by members of the national executive; members of the regional executives, even ex-ministers were polling agents. So, you could see how seriously we took that election. And, we knew also in 2008 how the Kufour administration, especially in its second term, messed up the economy big-time; and, there was too much corruption, and the people read between the lines and realized that to have an NPP third term again, this country would be doomed. Like I said, we were very focused; and though our resources were very little, but people were very focused. And, that made the big difference.
MLKMEDIA: Someone described you to me as a conscience of Ghana’s NDC party, citing your resignation from the party, on principles, just before the 2008 election. Are you the NDC’s conscience?
Said Sinare: I didn’t resign from the party.
MLKMEDIA: What happened?
Said Sinare: No, I didn’t resign from the party. It’s a long story. I didn’t tender any resignation letter to the party. We just had a small misunderstanding.
MLKMEDIA: What was the misunderstanding all about?
Said Sinare: I don’t really want to make any more comments on that. It’s gone; it’s passed and gone, and we need to grow. I never resigned from the party; I want to make that clear.
MLKMEDIA: The main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s former chairman Peter Mac Manu once described the NDC administration as ‘a slow but poor government leading the country into despair, mismanaging national resources and fumbling with national development’. Do you agree with him?
Said Sinare: I don’t agree with him. You can be slow, but you can be very effective in policies and all that. Every leader has his way of doing things. President Rawlings had his way of pursuing certain things, you know; Kufour had his own way also; and our current president, President Mills too has his own ways of doing things. He can be slow, but he is sure of delivering at the end of the day. And I’ll say this for a fact, a lot of Ghanaians will be very surprised that by the end of the year next year, things will pick up. Things are very tight at the moment because of what we inherited from the NPP-led former government. We inherited empty coffers with debts on top amounting to about 450 million United States dollars. It wasn’t easy. I mean, for a new administration to come in and you have all these debts on the table, at the end of the day what are you going to do? Inflation was at its highest peak; but now looks at inflation, for instance. We’ve taken inflation down to the single digit. I think Mills is doing well; we must give credit to him. We should be patient and at the end of the day, things will pick up.
MLKMEDIA: But most Ghanaians are saying they have been patient for a long time already. How long more do they still need to remain patient?
Said Sinare: We are trying to build the economy, to make sure that things move well in the right direction. Things will pick up. I know things are hard, there are no two ways about it; things are hard these days. But it is because of what we inherited. So if we don’t clean up those messes, we cannot move forward.
MLKMEDIA: Let’s move away from Ghana. President Nicholas Szakorzy had deported about 15,000 fellow EU citizens , specifically the Roma people, from France, an action that provoked angry reactions from the EU. Do you see that kind of action being taken by the Ghanaian authorities against other ECOWAS citizens in Ghana?
Said Sinare: I doubt it. Gone are those days. I remember those days between Ghana and Nigeria. Was it Ghana or Nigeria who started deporting? Ghana started in 1969 when Busia or so was in power; then I guess Nigeria retaliated when Shehu Shagari came to power. But I think it’s not a good thing. It’s not healthy for the African states, especially for West Africa, ECOWAS, for instance. Whatever tribe you have in Nigeria, you have them in Ghana, vice versa, border crossings and everything. I don’t think it’s a good thing.
MLKMEDIA: Are you impressed with ECOWAS’s efforts to integrate the sub region 36 years after it was founded?
Said Sinare: ECOWAS is not doing badly, especially the term of (Dr.) Ibn Chambas. It’s so unfortunate that he left at the later part of his term. But I guess Ambassador Victor Gbeho will continue in that trend, though his time is very short. He’s a very experienced person. The sub region can really count on him within the short time that he has.
MLKMEDIA: Is there the possibility of political parties in Africa inter-facing to share ideas and all that?
Said Sinare: Yes, I think that is a very good idea. I think we have it. Even in Ghana here, we have this party exchange between two various countries. For instance, recently our party (NDC) was invited to Sudan; I didn’t make that trip, but our general secretary made that trip. So we have that exchange which is good. We learn from one another to see how best we can move our countries forward.
MLKMEDIA: Ghana seems to have been relatively insulated from the sectarian strife that constantly tend to bedevil many African countries. What is the secret?
Said Sinare: That is one of the areas that this country has been blessed in. And, I will say it is through the grace of the Almighty God. Because the way we co-exist, Christians, Muslims whatever, I don’t see it happening in any other part of the continent, not even in Nigeria. Go to certain places in Ghana you see a mosque and beside it is a church. You go the northern part of Ghana where it is mostly, ninety per cent Muslim, and you’ll marvel at the number of churches there. Nobody interferes in whoever’s religion. In other words, there is freedom of worship; that’s what God has blessed us with in this country. It’s of nobody’s making but the Almighty’s. God has really blessed us to co-exist, and we thank him so much for it.
MLKMEDIA: The main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is still fielding Mr. Nana Addo Akufo-Addo, its presidential candidate in the last election, as its candidate for next year’s elections. What do you think about their choice of Mr. Akufo-Addo?
Said Sinare: Well, I’ll tell you something. And, I’m going to be very honest with you: For as long as they have Nana Akufo-Addo as the flag-bearer for the NPP, if it’s ten times that Nana Akufo-Addo is going to run against Prof. Mills, Prof will definitely beat him those ten times. And, I’ve always said that. But, for me, if it was Alan Kyerematen (Ghana’s immediate past Trade Minister), if Alan had won for the NPP, then we’ll have had to also adjust ourselves properly.
MLKMEDIA: Why?
Said Sinare: Because he carries a lot. Let’s be very honest with ourselves. He’s got the drive and what it takes. I don’t think that Nana has those drives that Alan has. I say that, for us, for me personally, it is easier for Prof to beat Nana Akufo-Addo than Kyerematen. We’ll beat Kyerematen, but it will be very tough. But Nana, we’re going to teach him a lesson in 2012.
MLKMEDIA: What do you say of the former First Lady Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings’ interest to contest against Prof. Mills for the 2012 NDC ticket?
Said Sinare: The door is open for everybody. Anybody who wants to contest Prof or whoever wants to contest, the doors are open for any candidate who is willing and who is capable of delivering at the end of the day. It depends on the delegate, who they are going to vote for, who is going to perform better for the country.
MLKMEDIA: What is the Ghana of your dreams?
Said Sinare: I see Ghana in the next eight years progressing very well. It’s going to take us some time. And, I will also say that it’s a blessing we have oil. I hope it’s not going to be a curse at the end of the day. I hope we are going to administer the revenue genuinely for the whole country to see. And, for one to be an oil-producing country, we must have other fields. We can’t just boast of only this one field. But I think government is doing all its best to make sure we have other fields. And I think the oil is going to help us a bit, because that would boost this country, insha allah, by the grace of God.
MLKMEDIA: But is that hope based on reality, considering the fact that Ghana had for long been a gold- and cocoa-producing country but without this fact reflecting as positively as expected on the country?
Said Sinare: Let us go to way back to independence. The population of Ghana was between 4 and 5 million, not more than 6 million then. There was so much, there was enough for the population. But the population grew; from independence to today, we’re hitting 24 million plus. So definitely, the resources would not be enough. So we really have to make up. Like I said, the oil coming in now will definitely make some difference. But we shouldn’t expect that because we’re going to make so much from oil that we should be reducing our fuel pricing because we need to make money from our taxes in order to grow this country. Go around Accra, Accra has expanded. So this is it. Let’s hope for the best.
MLKMEDIA: Your last word?
Said Sinare: My last word is that I’m praying very hard for Africa; for Africa to progress; and for unity, stability and development to take place in the whole of the African continent. And, no more wars, no more troubles; and no more coups d’etats. And for Ghana specifically, I see us progressing, I see Ghana coming up, by the grace of God, from what we have achieved in the last twenty-something years. In 1992, we embraced democracy, and it’s growing; and, I hope it will grow from generation to generation.
MARTIN LUTHER KING- (THE SUN)
DESTROYING TO ESTABLISH DEMOCRACY

It can be believed that United Nations, which was formed after the Second World War (1945), and mandated to prevent scourge of future wars; European founding powers have hijacked and forced to destroy countries that oppose democracy.

Unjustified political actions of colonial masters may destroy objectives for which the United Nations was established. There is disagreement between the five permanent Security Council members on international issues. Truly, United States, France, England verses Russia-China has influenced United Nations operations.
“Despite their different views of the world, both United States and the Soviet Union participate in the San Francisco Conference. They were among the 50 countries who signed the United Nations charter in June 1945. Together these nations pledged “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war” World History (D.C. Heath), 739.
The Western European Security Council members have masterminded unjustifiable wars, which are fought by member countries of the United Nations. Many innocent civilians are sacrifice on the altars of Satan among the nations. How can United Nations defend nations, which its members have craftily involved in warfare?
Although some socio-political leaders of the third world countries, especially African nations have dealt treacherously against their own citizenry, the way International powers handled such autocratic situations destroy objectives of United Nations instituted in 1945.
The colonial masters hide behind United Nations Organization to exercise authority over former third world colonies. African children are denied their legitimate peace that promotes development. Sophisticated military equipments are deployed among African nations enslave citizenry in their own land.
Some greedy African intellectuals and military rebels are employed and secretly trained, supplied with military equipments and finance to destabilised the continent. The interests of the colonial European masters are promoted instead of African heritage.
The continent had witnessed bloody warfare among the nations such as Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Liberia, Sirra Leone, Uganda and others. Who had supplied military equipments to warlords - Jonas Savimbi, Laurence Kabila, Charles Taylor, Fundor, and others, and financed their inhuman destructive activities?
Where are military equipments manufactured in Africa? If military equipments are not manufactured in Africa, then, where did Africa political giants get these sophisticated military equipments, which are used in destabilising the legitimate peace and development of poor African nations?
Without controversy, Western European powers did commit war crimes against humanity, which United Nations could not prosecute because she is controlled by its founding member powers.
“And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed” Rev 13:13-15.
European colonial masters are noted for their chameleon standard. The rebels they have employed; supplied with military equipments and financed to topple governments are abandoned if their strategic plan failed. They would return to flatter the governments they have tried to destabilise with development projects, and sanctioned warlords they had supported.
Our colonial masters indirectly rob third world countries of their natural resources and manpower. Individuals and governments could not purchase military equipments from colonial them if there should be no threat of war. But if there is threat for war European war markets would be patronised.
The unjustified United nations-Libya war that kills poor Africans and destroys its infrastructure has proved this school of thought. The super powers that are supposed to stand between the Libya government and the rebels sided with rebels. In fact, internationally supported rebels and Libya government have equally committed war crimes.
African children could not understand the behaviour of the colonial masters. These masters are now bombarding military equipments they have sold to Libya government, and destroying the very military installations Libya government had paid them.
It is religio-political unacceptable for United Nations to mandate North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to overthrown sovereign state, which is not signatory. NATO was formed to defend member nations from Soviet aggression. The children of Africa have mandated African Union (AU) to defend citizenry from local and foreign aggressors.
“Concern over Soviet aggression in Eastern Europe led to the creation of NATO in 1949. The United States, Canada, and ten Western European nations pledged troops and money for mutual defense. In 1955, the Soviet Union created the Warsaw Pact, a rival alliance that included seven Eastern European nations” World History (Burton F. Beers), page 636.
“Christian Democrat Konrad Adenauer led the economy recovery of West Germany. He served as chancellor from 1949 to 1961. Adenauer brought West Germany into NATO in 1955 and helped forge strong alliances with other western powers against the Soviet Union” (ibid) 636.
“The NATO agreement said that “an armed attack against one or more of its members in Europe and America shall be considered an attack against them all” History of the World (Marvin Perry & Co) page 714.
The World Body’s mandated NATO, Libya Rebels and Libya Government have equally committed war crimes. United Nations should have mandated Africa Union, which Libya Government is a signatory to bridge warring factions.
African Union, formed by patriotic African leaders to defend citizenry from foreign and local aggressors, has succumbed unto Western European aggressors. AU has abandoned Libya unto NATO for destruction. Our African political leaders will shower unqualified condolences unto Libya if Muamar Gaddafi should be assassinated by NATO commanders.
The founding member states of United Nations could not be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court when they commit war crimes against humanity. Although United States and Britain had falsely accused Irag government, and had killed and destroyed the country, the Security Council has shelved them.
According to Imperial Rome (Book); the Romans had believed that peace would be established after victorious war. “He who desires peace should prepare for war”. This maxim by the military writer Vegetius was a keystone of Roman foreign policy, and Rome’s standing Army remained unequalled for centuries” Imperial Rome, page 89.
The European powers may have believed this theory, for United Nations has inherited the history of imperial Roman Empire, which ruled the world between BC 31 and AD 538. Vatican Council II Document however, states that inhuman actions should not be employed to enforce peace among the nations.
“But since peace must be born of mutual trust between peoples instead of being forced on nations through dread of arms, all must work to put an end to the arms race and make a real beginning of disarmament, not unilaterally indeed but at equal rate on all sides, on the basis of agreements and backed up by genuine and effective guarantees” Vatican Council II (Austin Flannery), page 991.
The media has reported that some lawmakers believed that Iraq should pay European-Iraqi war debts. This statement was criticised by sympathizers of Iraq. Iraq which has known no peace after European invasion may be forced to pay war debts.
European Powers may force the World Body to enact resolution that would require Libya to pay war debts after the destruction of Libya and President Muamar Gaddafi is assassinated. -
Apostle Kadmiel E.H.Agbalenyoh, is the world Leader Seventh Day Congregation of Theocracy, Bible Researcher and a Religious Columnist with THE SUN